Bible Study Series: What is The Purose Of Life ? (Chapter 1)

 WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LIFE?

A REVIEW OF THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE

WRITTEN BY RICK WARREN CHAPTER 1

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU

What is your purpose? Why are you here? Why were you born into the family you

were born into? Why did God choose you to be part of the body of Christ? There are many

questions about life, but few places to get truthful answers. I believe that the Word of

God is the only place to get the truth.

In this series of lessons, I will use the book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

as our outline to discuss the Word of God. From time to time I will quote Rick Warren,

but my primary focus will be the Word of God.

As Rick stated the only way to find your purpose is to start with God. Your purpose

will not be found in you, your family, your friends, your job, or your aspirations.

Your purpose is in the one who created you.

Ask yourself, why is my purpose important?

GOD CREATED EVERYTHING FOR HIMSELF

Let’s start from the beginning;

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:26

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

God created everything. He created us to rule over every living creature. Part of your purpose

is to be a good steward of everything God has put into your hands starting with your own

body. The mind you were created with must be fertilized with the word of God.

MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE AND LIKENESS

You were made in the image and likeness of God.

What is the difference between image and likeness?

The word image is the Hebrew word tselm which means shade or resemblance.

It means the very same person. A precise reproduction

The moral disposition of the soul, his righteousness

A picture of God is His love, His tolerance, His forgiveness, His compassion and

His righteousness.

The word likeness is the Hebrew word demuwth which means shape, fashion, or

similitude. It can also mean resemblance.

Since no man has seen God at any time, image and likeness refer to the soul.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary describes image and likeness in this manner;

Being in God's image means that humans share, though imperfectly and finitely, in God's nature, that is, in His communicable attributes (life, personality, truth, wisdom, love, holiness, justice), and so have the capacity for spiritual fellowship with Him.

Animals were created with flesh but not spirit. Man is created in flesh and spirit and is allied with

heaven and earth.

According to Matthew Henry, “ God’s image upon man consists of three things,

1. In his nature and constitution, 2 In his place and authority, and 3 his purity and rectitude.

It consists of knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness."

The Man was predestined in Jesus before the foundation of the earth. Therefore our purpose is found

in the creator. The "us" in Genesis 1:26 is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have a

higher purpose than just existing on Earth.

PURPOSE IS NOT FOUND IN YOU

We cannot find our purpose in ourselves. In us is sin. Sinful thinking leads to a sinful

purpose. A sinful purpose leads to death.

Romans 8:6

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;

Ask yourself, Am I controlled by the spirit of God?

Our purpose is spiritual and found in Jesus because He set us free from sin

Romans 8:1-3

Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

We were not set free to do our thing, We were set free to do the will of God.

Ask yourself, do you feel free, or do feel bound by all the stuff I have to do?

This does not mean, that we should not pursue our goals and aspirations. What it does mean is

to pursue them under the guidance and direction of the Lord. The purpose of our lives is in

partnership with the Lord.

Discovering your purpose will not be found in self-help books or seminars.

According to Rick Warren, self-help books give self-driven steps to find your purpose

1. Consider your dreams

2. Clarify your values

3. Set goals

4. What are you good at

5. Aim high

6. Believe in yourself

7. Self-discipline

8. Never give up

These are good steps toward being successful in life. If God is not in this process

your purpose will not be found.

PURPOSE DISCOVERED IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH

 JESUS

Matthew 16:25

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Your purpose can only be found when God is the primary focus of your life.

1 Corinthians 2:6-8

We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

Your purpose is a secret that world can’t know because it is not revealed to them. Your purpose

will be revealed to you through your relationship with God and Jesus Christ.

You will never be fulfilled in the world's pursuits. Your fulfillment is in Jesus Christ.

We were created not for ourselves but for the Father

Colossians 1:16-18

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together.

God created you for His purpose. He determined your purpose before heaven and earth

was created.

God has never left you in control of your life. You may think you make decisions independent

of Him. But you can’t make any decisions without Him.

Job 12:10

In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

You can't breathe without God's assistance. You can’t think without God’s help.

You can do nothing without God.

CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1 of Purpose-driven Life concludes with

YOUR PURPOSE IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU

SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT OUR PURPOSE?

1. Purpose in found in G_______________________

2. You were made in His I____________and L__________

3. You were created to R___________________

4. You are different from animals. You have F___________ and S__________

5. You are part of both H____________and E__________________

6. You consist of God’s K_____________ R______________ H_____________

7. You have the capacity for spiritual F______________ with G___________

8. All things were created by G_____________ for G_______________

CLASS QUESTIONS

HOW CAN I REMIND MYSELF THAT LIFE IS ALL

 ABOUT GOD AND NOT ME?

WHAT EFFECT IN KNOWING YOUR PURPOSE

 HAVE ON YOU?

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "What Does Heaven Look Like", Matthew 13: 24-33

 A VIEW OF HEAVEN

Matthew 13:24-33

WHAT HEAVEN LOOKS LIKE

V:24 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

The one thing you and I need to know is more about the heaven God has promised us. We need

more knowledge about the God that has promised us heaven. We need to understand heaven

and How God works with us in His heaven.

The man is God Himself. The seed is the Word of God. The field is the world, mankind.

When Jesus said Heaven is at hand, He was referring to Himself. The Work of Jesus was to

plant the His Word into mankind. The Word of God is the incorruptible truth. The enemy is

the devil, the father of lies. The enemy plants seeds of temptation to corrupt the ones

God has planted.

When Jesus chose His 12 disciples, He included one who was His enemy, Judas who

betrayed Him. All believers were chosen from a world filled with the enemies of God.

The Lord saw fit to choose us out of the world, to be light unto the world. Believers

and none believers are mingled together to grow up together.

It is up to the servants of God to know the difference between the good seed and the

corrupt seed. The servants of God must first know the Word of God to distinguish the

difference between truth and lies. The servant must always be on alert to resist

the temptations of the devil. Satan works under the cover of darkness in the ignorant of believers. He often shows up as an angel of light, a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Each believer affects the world around him/her. We never know who God has called.

What we do know is we are voices of His calling card. We may be planting a seed or

watering a seed others have planted. It is the Holy Spirit that fertilizes the Word that

was planted.

BELIEVERS AND THE PRETENDERS

V:27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

28 "'An enemy did this,' he replied.

"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

29 "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.

A good servant never acts without the approval of the owner. We should always evaluate our

circumstances and determine what we think is wrong or right. We should even come to a conclusion

on what we think ought to be done and make suggestions. We must first discuss the situation

with the Lord. Since He is the owner, we seek guidance and directions from Him.

Notice the servant want to pull up the weeds. The word weed or tares is a Greek word that means

false grain. In the Church, there are a lot of pretenders who have not accepted Christ as Savior. God

has a reason why He allows believers and none believers to grow together. It is the Word of God

that convicts sinners. If we offend none believers we may also offend believers and weaken their

faith.

What kind of church would we be if we became an exclusive club for believers only? How

would the church grow? The church ought to look like the community. There ought to be

used to be drug dealers. There ought to be used to be prostitutes. There ought to be recovering

drug users. We ought to have used to be homeless in the congregation. We certainly ought

to have some use to be liars and robbers. Not everyone will change, but many will.

Taking matters into our own hands without the approval of the Father can be destructive.

We know how we would like things to be. God knows how things will be. We can make plans

but it is not our plan but the Lord's that will prevail. It is our job to ensure that whatever we do

is according to the will of God.

GROWING FOR THE HARVEST

V:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"

God is in no hurry to build His Church. He has eternity. The Father has the second coming

of Jesus in view. The servant was steward over the portion of the field assigned to him.

Jesus is Lord over the entire field. Since all things work together for the good of the entire

Church body, we must make sure that what we do is according to God’s divine will.

Jesus said the harvest is plentiful but the worker is few. We must continue to do

work assigned to us while it is the day. Our job is to grow disciples (Matthew 28:19).

After the second coming of Jesus, every person will be called to judgment. Those who

accepted Christ Jesus will be granted eternity in heaven. Those who rejected Christ will be

cast into the burning hell for eternity.

SMALL START, A BIG ENDING

V:31 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

The Gospel of Jesus Christ started small with 11 apostles. It has grown to cover the entire

world with millions of followers. It started with Jesus over 2000 years ago and is still

growing. Believers rest in the peace and joy of Jesus. Believer hopes in His second coming

and the promise of eternal life.

The Kingdom Of Heaven is the place where Jesus reigns and is the light of the world.

The Kingdom Of Heaven is a place of love, God’s righteousness and His Glory.

It is a place of unending praise and worship. It is a place of infinite growth in the

knowledge of the Lord.

Rev. M. Mitchell

Bible Study Series: Mental Balance; How To Control Yourself, Psalms 37

 MENTAL BALANCE

HOW TO CONTROL YOURSELF

Psalms 37:1-27

How do you maintain joy and peace in times like these? When the facts don't matter.

When the truth doesn't matter. When human life doesn't matter. How do you keep

yourself from being angry and upset when violence seems to be escalating? How

can you sleep well at night when violence is all around you?

In this country, there is the opinion that we are safer if everyone has a gun to

protect themselves. There is also the opinion that guns don’t kill people. People

with mental problems kill people.

According to the Bible, people have killed people since the beginning of mankind.

The only sure protector of you and me is God himself.

I am going to make a hypothesis and then attempt to prove it with the Word of

God.

MY HYPOTHESIS

I do not believe every act of violence is due to mental illness. I do not believe that

every mass murderer has a mental illness. I do not expect everyone to agree with me.

I believe many people have mental problems, and some lead to violence.

But every act of violence is not related to mental illness.

Let's go to where violence got its start in mankind. Violence started in the Garden of

Eden with the first marriage. Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command by listening

to the most violent entity God created which was Satan. Disobedience is an act of

violence against God. The first marriage became dysfunctional and that dysfunction

was carried to the first children, Cain and Able.

My First Proof.

The first counseling section recorded in the Bible was between God and Cain. The

sin of Adam and Eve affected their children. The violence of Adam and Eve was

transferred to their sons.

Genesis 4:4-7

The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering, he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

Cain having full knowledge of right and wrong killed his younger brother. It was not mental illness, it was disobedience.

MY SECOND PROOF

Judas with full knowledge of right and wrong, betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and then hung himself. It was not a mental illness it was disobedience.

In both these cases and countless others throughout the Bible, violence against God and man is not mental illness, but disobedience. Man fails to master his anger. Man failed to control himself. Anger leads to rage and rage can lead to violent acts. Anger leads to irrational behavior.

MY THIRD PROOF

In Psalms 37, God gives us the method of controlling our mental attitude.

Anger is a defect in mental attitude that results from discontentment.

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

V:1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

The Hebrew word for fret means to burn, to be kindled, to be inflamed

Don’t get inflamed, upset, or angry about the bad thing going on around you.

Notice, it is a choice one has to make. Anger wants to have you, I should say

Satan wants to have you. You have to master your anger.

Don’t get envious of what the world is doing. Don't let your mind get distracted from what God is doing. What is good for the world is not good for the believer. We are not of this world, therefore cannot compare ourselves to the world. Whatever prosperity the world has will be short-lived Like looking at a flower that blooms, its beauty will soon fade away.

Fretting is a complaint. The reason for the complaint is discontentment. The discontentment leads to envy or jealousy which leads to rage which leads to violent acts. The violent act can be controlled by mastering our anger.

Cain was advised by God to master his anger. He didn’t, so anger got control of him and

he killed his brother. Mental illness was not the problem.

PUT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD

V:3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

We must cast our cares on the Lord. He knows best what we need.

The solution for fretting is trusting in the Lord.

We must cast our cares on the Lord. He knows best how to our circumstances.

The Lord gives the procedure for maintaining our contentment

Do good. Treat everybody right

 Do Good; Do not give up, do not yield to fear. Do good; get to some

practical work for God; continue in the path of daily duty, take

spiritual exercise. (T. Spurgeon)

Stay where you are. Stay focused on the Lord.

Don’t lose faith because of the world’s problems

Enjoy the protection of the Lord. You must realize that it's God who keeps you.

Enjoy what you have. Be grateful

Delight yourself in the Lord

Give God praise continuously

The reward for contentment

Given the desires of your heart

FOLLOW GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS

V:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Submit Yourself to the guidance and direction of the Lord

Roll your burden on to the Lord

Let the Lord handle your troubles so they become His.

When God has your burden He will not permit you to suffer.

When you give your problems over to God, don’t think about them. Don’t revisit the problems.

If you begin to fret, you know you have not let go. You never gave them to God.

Find your way to doing good. Because you do good, others will see your righteousness

WAIT PATIENTLY ON THE LORD

If you say you trust the Lord, you must trust His Way. You must trust His timing

You must trust His purpose

You must wait on God and act with anticipation and excitement

You must resolve to be peaceful when you see the evil men prosper

Know that those who commit evil against others have a false sense of accomplishment

which will end soon.

HANDLE YOUR EMOTIONS IN A GODLY MANNER

V:8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil. 9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

Our emotions are fueled by the way we think,

If we see things in a positive light, we will be peaceful

If we see things negative we will upset ourselves

If we see God in control, we live in confidence

Don't get angry. Don't seek revenge. Don't upset yourself

These three lead you to a desire to do evil. You must take control of the situation.

Go to God in prayer and allow Him to handle the situation according to His will.

Our prayers should be filled with patience with the Lord.

We get upset with God because we ignore the promise of God that the actions of the wicked will be short-lived. They will be put down in God's due time.

The solution to our evil temperament is to humble ourselves before the Lord and

wait for Him to act.

1 Peter 5:6-8

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert.

THE ACTIONS OF THE WICKED ARE A LAUGHING

 MATTER

V:12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 15 But their swords will pierce their hearts, and their bows will be broken.

Evil folk plans all kinds of stuff against you. They plot and plan to destroy you.

God laughs because evil men can do nothing but what He allows

Their end is near.

RIGHTEOUSNESS, YOUR BEST SITUATION

V:16 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; 17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever.

Your best situation is contentment with what God has done, is doing, and will do for you.

To balance your mental attitude, control what you think about. Those who have negative thoughts inflame themselves. Those who have good thoughts find peace.

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

A Balanced mental attitude does not rest with your stuff, your connections, your education, or the number of guns you have. A balance mental attitude is based on your relationship with God.

Rev. M. Mitchell

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The mission Of Jesus", Matthew 5:17-44

 THE MISSION OF JESUS AND TEACHING

Matthew 5:17-44

JESUS FULFILLED OUR NEEDS

V:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Jesus gives us His mission and demonstrates His works.

Only Jesus was qualified to fulfill the Law. The Law was designed to be our tutor until grace

came. The Law is good because it shows our sinfulness. Only Jesus was qualified to fulfill

all the requirements of the Law.

Some say that there are 613 commands in the law. Only Jesus would know them all and could

keep them in focus at all times. Anyone who breaks any of the commands is guilty of the

whole law. By keeping all of the commands, Jesus death on the cross atoned for the sins of the

entire world.

The Law is still a reminder of our sinfulness and the righteousness of God. We are not under

penalty of law because of Jesus’ work on the cross. All believers are under the grace of our Lord

and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Law will be with be in effect as the reminder of our sinfulness and God's righteousness

until this current heaven and earth are destroyed. In the new heaven, there will be no need for

the Word because we will be living in the Word.

LAY YOUR ANGER ASIDE

V:21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 But I tell you that anyone angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

There is a murder of the body and murder of the spirit, Jesus holds the murder of the spirit to the same judgment. You can kill a person's spirit with your words. The Lord warns us to control our anger. When you are angry with another person you are likely to say hurtful things which will damage their spirit.

The word angry is the Greek word which means to be enraged.

The word raca is the Greek word that means worthless. When we become enraged our

true feeling about another person is vocalized. To call another person worthless or foolish

degrades them. We become guilty of the murder of the spirit. We must humble ourselves

before others see them as important as we see ourselves. We are reminded to love

our neighbors as ourselves.

SANCTITY THE FAMILY IN YOUR HEART

V:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Family is God's first institution. He loves family and the sanctity of family. Anything that undermines the foundation of a family is against the will of God. The desire of a man for another woman outside of his marriage is adultery.

When a man desires another woman, he takes his focus off the one he made a lasting

commitment to before God and man. The heart of a man is corrupted by lust. Families

can be destroyed by lust in the heart for others outside of marriage.

LET GO AND LET GOD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES

V:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

The law of retaliation is given in Exodus 21:24. One has the right to protect himself. The Lord

gives the believer another alternative; one of humility and selflessness. It is our job to seek a

peaceful solution. When attempts to reconcile the situation fail, we turn it over to God. The

Lord says vengeance is mind.

Certainly, this is not a command one would do according to the desires of the flesh. With God

as our refuge, we humble ourselves and be seen as peacemakers.

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

V:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Our normal thought is to love those close to us and those who show love to us. The love of the

The enemy is never on our minds. We only think about our enemies when confronted by them.

The Lord requires us to spend time considering the needs of our enemies. We need to consider their

spiritual needs. We never know if our enemies were placed in our midst to be drawn to Christ.

The love we show others may be the light that changes them from enemy to friend.

Being the light of the world and the salt of the earth we should imitate Christ with

our lives.

Rev. M. Mitchell

Bible Study Series: Al Things Good, Romans 8:28-30

 ALL THINGS WORK FOR YOUR GOOD

Romans 8:28-30

ALL THINGS GOOD

V:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

The “we” are believers in Jesus Christ. To nonbelievers this is foolishness. This letter was

written to the church in Rome. From Jerusalem, the Word spread to the Roman Empire. Both

Jews and Gentiles were made participants in God's Gospel.

To know is to know the truth which is the Word of God. To know the truth one must

study the Word of God. We must meditate on the Word of God to allow the Holy Spirit

to give us an understanding of the Word. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to teach us

the Word. (John 15:26).

The things that the apostle Paul speaks of are the ills, trials, and tribulations of life. We

may not know when they will show up in our lives. We do know from our experiences

that they show up from time to time. We make not know the duration of that which

afflicts us, but God knows. We must expect them and learn to endure them with patience.

Notice, they work for our good. This is encouragement that what troubles us will benefit

us. The good is our eternal interest. Not what happening today. Not what will happen tomorrow?

But the good helps us imitate Jesus in our daily walk.

The good quicken our prayers. The good forces us to rely on Jesus and not the world.

The good cause us to reflect on God's grace and mercy. The good heightens our thankfulness.

The good broadens our love for one another.

Notice, that good work is only for those who love the Lord. Those who live in the spirit of obedience.

Whatever you are going through is working for your good now.

God is working. The Holy Spirit is working. Your troubles are pressed into service for your

good. The good strengthens your faith.

James 1:2-5

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

God is getting us ready for more service. Your trials are strengthened exercises to get us ready for more

difficult tasks. The Lord expects more fruit from those who love Him.

There may be some areas in your life that need cleaning up. One who loves God is not

sinning against God. The promise God made is for the present time. Sin blocks the promise.

There may be some attitudes, habits, and people that you are holding onto that are blocking

your total commitment to God. You may experience divine trouble to refocus your thinking

on areas that are pleasing to God.

Some trouble we cause ourselves because of our disobedience and failure to seek

divine wisdom before we act. Sometimes we fail to let God order our steps.

The word called is the Greek word kletos which means invited. We have been invited to

good work of producing more fruit. Not fruit for ourselves, but fruit that gives God glory.

The work is according to God’s divine purpose. The Greek word for purpose is prothesis

which means to set forth for all to see. The work God has for us was predetermined for

our salvation.

CALLED TO SERVE AN UNLIMITED GOD

Romans 8:29

29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers

God is not limited by time and circumstances. He sees everything at once, past, present, and future,

He sees from eternity past to eternity future. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

To God, there is no beginning or end because He always was and always will be.

Before the foundation of the earth God divide the men he would create into two classes. Those

He would save and those He would leave condemned. The word foreknow is the Greek word

proginosko which means to foresee or know beforehand. Before anything was anything, He

planned everything. God knew what He would do before there was anything formed to do.

The word predestinate is the Greek word proorizo which means to predetermine or ordain or

limit in advance. God limited us, the church to salvation. God favored a certain number of

mankind that would be born to be like His Son. He predetermined a certain portion of

men to be born and let in sin.

Before there was sin, God knew a world in sin. God set sin in motion by creating the Arch

Angel Lucifer and allowing Him to corrupt a third of the angels He created. Angel were

God first spiritual creation. Job 38:4-7

Before there was man to sin, God knew men

in sin. Before Adam knew sin, God set in the middle of the Garden of Eden two specific trees.

He set the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for the temptation of man (Genesis 2:9). Let me suggest the trees were there to give man a choice. He could choose life

or death.

Before you were in your mother's womb, God knew your sin.

Jeremiah 1:5

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

And before you were born I consecrated you;

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God limited you and I, the church to the tree of life even though we were born in sin.

He set us apart from the world before birth. He assigned jobs and positions to us before

birth. You have a purpose for being on this earth.

Let me suggest, your purpose is not sitting idle and waiting on God to speak. You and I must

constantly seek God.

Matthew 7:7

7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you

We had no choice but that we were born in sin. We were not given the option to be born in righteousness or to be born in sin.

Psalms 51:5

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

We do have a choice not to stay in sin. Accepting Jesus is a choice we can make

God opens the door for us to make that choice.

It was by God's grace and mercy that He chose us for salvation. The Father

sent Jesus to die for our sins to give us the right to the Tree of Life.

Proverbs 3:16

18 She (WISDOM), is a tree of life to those who embrace her;

those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

If you want to make wise decision, seek God’s advice first.

God enabled us to make the choice He would give us to choose Him.

Jesus is the firstborn of a new creation in Him. The first choice is to choose Jesus.

Ephesians 1:4-6

In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

All the churches are sons and daughters of the Father

PREDESTINED FOR GLORY

Romans 8:30

30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

The word called is the Greek word kaleo which means to call forth in a loud voice.

You were called out of the world to be in Jesus.

Who heard the call? You responded to the call. The angels heard the call. Satan and his

demons heard the call.

The word justified is the Greek word dikaioo which means to render innocent

Jesus' blood on the cross atoned for our sins. When God looks at us He sees the blood of

Jesus. We have been rendered innocent by the blood of Jesus.

The word glorified is the Greek word doxazoo which means to hold in honor

Why would the Lord hold sinful us in honor? Let me suggest because Jesus

honored us with His death on the cross

GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING GOOD

God made a plan for your life before you born. God plan for your life is

for you to give Him Glory.

1^st Before time as we know it, God determined that we would be His glory.

2^nd We were born in sin because of the sin of Adam. Adam’s sin condemned the whole of

mankind born after him. It is by God’s grace that you learn to trust Him. Sin is the tool

He uses to draw you to Him.

3^rd We were called out of the world Romans 8:30

4^th We were justified

5^th We were glorified

6th We were drawn to Jesus by the Father John 6:44

7th We are given a measure of faith to accept Jesus as our Savior Roman 12:3

8^th We were baptized into his death and resurrected into the newness of eternal life

Romans 6:3-5

9^th We were adopted as sons and daughters of the Father Ephesians 1:5

10^th We were given the command to abide in Jesus as He abides in us

11^th We were given the command to produce fruit John 15:5

12^th We are given trials and tribulations in our walk with Jesus to

strengthen our faith to produce much fruit. James 1

12^th We are given the enlightenment that all things work for our good as we

love the Lord.

CLASS PARTICIPATION

WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU?

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DOING TO

FULFILL THAT PURPOSE?

CAN YOU BE SURE YOU ARE CHOSEN

BY GOD?

Rev. M. Mitchell

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Qualities Of A Good Person", Matthew 5:1-16, June 4/2023

 THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD PERSON

Matthew 5:1-16

SPEND TIME WITH JESUS

V:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

The good thing about our Savior is He is ready to teach us any time we come to Him. He's available to meet with us privately. Jesus will position Himself for us away from the crowd. It is up to us to make time for Jesus

There is no excuse for not taking time for Jesus. We take time to do everything we want. We take time to go to work. We take time to go shopping. We take time to go entertain ourselves with friends.

None of this worldly time is profitable for our salvation. None of this time is soul-strengthening. Only Jesus can provide spiritual uplifting. You will never get the truth from the world.

Jesus' disciples followed Him to the mountain for more instructions. We must follow Jesus to the Bible. The mountain we must climb is the one in our minds.

PROFITABLE QUALITIES

A HUMBLE SPIRIT

V:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs, is the kingdom of heaven.

The poor in spirit is not one that does not have the spirit of God but one who knows he is not as close to God as he should be. The poor in spirit is grieved that he does not have a total commitment to God. He is struggling in his flesh and sin is weighing him down.

The poor in spirit is struggling because the peace and joy of Jesus escape him because he can't let go of his circumstances. The poor in spirit desires to imitate the love Jesus has for the Father. Because He is striving to please God, he will be blessed. The poor in spirit humbles himself before the Lord. Because of his humbleness heaven is his destination.

MORN TO DAY BUT JOY IN THE MORNING

V:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

The poor in spirit morns because of his spiritual poverty. He mourns because there is more to life with Jesus, that is blocked by the desires of the flesh. What happiness he experiences is short-lived because it is rooted in the world's cares. If only he could see the world as temporary, he could focus on the eternal blessing that awaits him.

You and I must realize that the trouble we face is allowed by God to strengthen our faith in Jesus. If we learn the joy of endurance we will be comforted by Jesus.

POWER UNDER CONTROL

V:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

The word meek is the Greek word praus which means gentle and humble. Meekness is the inter grace that sees the good in situations. Some say it is power under control. Meekness is obedience to God’s commands in opposition to confrontation. Meekness is characteristic of the mildness of temper, slow to speak, slow to act and quick to listen and consider the needs of others.

A meek mind carefully considers all the aspects of a situation before acting according to the wisdom of God. Meekness assumes that every aspect of a situation is not known.

A meek mind is not satisfied until it has exhausted every possibility.

The meek person acts according to the will of God and therefore is an inheritance of the earth which he enjoys.

SEEKS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

V:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

It is the righteousness of God that brings success and joy in life. Those who seek the

righteousness of God are endowed with the wisdom of God. They are filled with

the confidence of the Lord and peace and joy that is lasting. An Unnatural appetite for

the righteousness of God makes one independent of himself and dependent on the spiritual

nourishment of health and strength of the creator.

Our prayers to God are inspired by Him with a design to answer. Those to thirst after

God’s righteousness will be filled with the confidence of salvation.

SHOW YOURSELF AS A FRIEND

V:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Mercy is defined as the kindness of God toward the miserable and afflicted.

Jesus exercised His mercy for mankind with His death on the cross for our sinfulness.

God expects us to show mercy toward others. It is showing compassion for those in need. What goes around comes around. Because we show mercy for others, God will show us more mercy.

TRUE LOVE FROM A PURE HEART

V:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

True religion begins with a pure heart. A pure heart begins with the washing of

the blood of Jesus cleansed with the conviction of the Word. Any man in Christ is a

new creation. The new creation is under the power of Christ. A pure heart cannot

exist or continue to exist without the intercession of Christ. It is the Lord who keeps

us from all unrighteousness.

A pure heart seeks to please God. A pure heart is grieved at any thought of

sin. Because it constantly seeks God it has His presence dwelling in it.

A pure heart sees the needs of others above itself.

MAKE PEACE NOT CONFUSION

V:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Jesus came into this world for peace with those chosen by the Father. It is a

peace that surpasses all understanding. We can enjoy the peace through

our faith in Jesus. Since Jesus is the mediator for us before the Father,

we are to seek to mediate circumstances among men.

It is our job not to engage in any conversation or activity that causes

grief among men. On the contrary, we should engage in activity that reconciles

differences.

ENDURE PERSECUTION WITH JOY

V:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Christ was hated because He claimed the righteousness of the Father. He made it known

to us that we would be hated when we claim Him as our Savior. To act according to the righteousness of God is to oppose the actions of the world. God’s righteousness exposes sin.

Because the world loves sin, it is natural for us to be hated. We cannot seek heaven and

agree with sin. When we glorify God before men, He promises to lift us before men.

QUALITIES AT WORK IN YOUR LIFE

BLESSED WHEN INSULTED

V:11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

We cannot expect the praise of men in this world. If we seek the praise of men we oppose God.

John 5:44

44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

Men praise you only when you agree with them. They don’t about what is right.

They care about what makes them look good in the eyes of others.

When we praise God for His righteousness, we can expect to be falsely accused and insulted by those who love sin. Sin is the devil’s influence. Satan came to steal, kill

and destroy. You are Satan’s target.

Our joy comes from the Lord and not men.

John 15:11-12

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

The joy we have is based on the promise of eternal life with Jesus. The Lord is in

the midst of your troubles making them work for your good. Enduring your

troubles produces fruit that others can see and be encouraged.

SEASON THE WORLD WITH THE WORD

V:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

Salt seasons food. It gives it a different taste. The job of believers is to season the thoughts and ideas of nonbelievers with the Word of God. The world rejects God because of its ignorance.

Our job is to introduce others to the Word of God. The Word has the power to convict nonbelievers of their sins and draw them to Christ. The Word through the power of the Holy Spirit will change chosen nonbelievers into believers.

We were called to glorify God by claiming Him as our Lord and Savior. Our testimony is important to influencing and encouraging others in the Lord. God never gave anyone the job of being silent. We are worthless to the glory of God if we sit on the sidelines and just look.

MAKE SOME NOISE ABOUT JESUS

V:14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Jesus is the light of the world. We are His ambassadors.

Luke 2:32-33

A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

John 1:9

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

It is the believer's job to claim the glory of God for others to see and hear.

Our lives ought to be an imitation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When others see our faith in our actions, they may be encouraged.

Rev. M. Mitchell